Device for honing and stropping razor blades



A. HAZAN DEVICE FOR HONING AND STROPPING RAZOR BLADES Filed July l5, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l t ll Feb. 20, 1934. A. HAzAN 1,947,849

DEVICE FOR HONING-AND STROPPING RAZOR BLADES Filed July l5, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 20, 1934.

A, HAZAN DEVICE FOR HONING AND STROPPING RAZOR BLADES Filed July l5, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 4 /S Y 75 y 36 4f Z Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAZOR BLADES Alexandre Hazan, Antwerp, Belgium Application July 15, 1932, Serial No. 622,761, and in Belgium July 25, 1931 3 Claims.

I have made application as follows: in Belgium, on July 25th, 1931; in Belgium, on August 13th, 1931; in Belgium, on September 12th, 1931; in Belgium, on February 11th, 1932; in Belgium, on April 13th, 1932; in Belgium, on May 18th, 1932; in Germany, on October lst, 1931.

My present invention has for its object to provide an improved device for honing and stropping razor blades, particularly safety razor blades. that is one which is easy to handle and which secures keen durable shaving edges, so that my invention will be particularly advantageous for private users.

One of the conditions of a perfect honing or sharpening consists in that theedge of the blade should be pressed against the abrasive surface with sufficient, uniform and regular pressure, secured during the whole time of honing or sharpening movements, and such pressure should be uniformly distributed over the entire length of the blade edge.

The correctly chosen angle between the abrasive surface and the face of the blade should be invariable. Another important condition consists in that during the honing or sharpening movements the line of the blade edge should form an acute angle with the direction of movement of the blade along the abrasive surface. Moreover the sharpening of the blades should be effected on two different abrasive surfaces, that is one for honing and another for stropping, and the device should be simple in construction and easy in manipulation, in order to enable any person to use it.

The invention hereinafter described fulfills all these conditions owing to its particular construction and the combined operations of the various parts.

Broadly stated, the device according to my invention comprises a suitably shaped box, within which an abrasive surface is arranged, over which the blade to be sharpened is moved by means of a carriage, sliding in guide-ways provided in the longitudinal walls of the box. The dimensions of the parts are determined in such a way that at the ends of the reciprocating movements of the carriage carrying the blade, said carriage will K somewhat project beyond the rim of the abrasive surface, so that the blade, after having been disengaged froin said surface, may be caused to tilt or swing towards the bottom wall of the box, this movement having for its object to rotate the blade, in order to bring the opposite side of the edge into contact with the abrasive surface Qn the return movement of the carriage.

The blade-holder provided with a blade is urged by the action of springs arranged in the carriage towards the abrasive surface, the pressure of said springs causing the blade to partially rotate as soon as it will be disengaged from the abrasive 601 surface, said springs urging the blade downwardly Ainto a vertical position.

Further details and advantages of my invention will appear in the course of the following description of one preferred embodiment there- 55 of, it being understood that many changes or modifications may be made in this embodiment without departing from the scope of my invention. In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view of my improved honing and stropping device.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of same with the blade in its vertical position and ready to engage the abrasive surface with the side of its edge op- 76 posite to that which has just been honed, or to be removed from the apparatus together with the blade-holder.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the blade-holder with a blade inserted and held in the same.

Fig. 5 shows the details of one wall of the'carriage.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the carriage with a blade-holder arranged therein.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the carriage and-85 blade-holder showing the action of the springs on the blade-holder to press the blade against the abrasive surface.

Fig. 8 shows how the abrasive surfacewill swing under the pressure of theY blade with the edge of the latter inclined. v

Fig. 9 shows the angle of inclination between the blade edge and the direc-tion of movement of the blade.

Fig. 10 sho-ws the angle formed in the honing 95 operation between the blade and abrasive surface.

Figs. 11, 12, and 13 sh-ow different views of the attaching members between the walls of the carriage.

Fig. 14 shows how the level or height of the 100 abrasive surface may be adjusted by means of a pusher. Y

Fig. 15 shows a protecting system for the honing or sharpening surface.

Figs. 16, 17, and 18 are similar views serving 105 to explain the operation of said protecting system.

Figs. 19 and 20 show how braking springs may be inserted into the parts supporting the honing orsharpening body.

Fig. 21 is a plan view of the protecting system showing the operative relation between said system and blade-holder.

The casing a forming the supporting base oi the apparatus, is formed of a bottom wall and four side walls. Provided in the longitudinal walls of said casing are guide-ways 8, in which the carriage hereinafter described will be slidabl;J guided. Arranged on the bottom of the casing are four curved metal strips or cams i, the upper rims 2 of which are bent horizontally and serve to support the blade-holder at the moment the latter is moved over the same. Also arranged or formed on the bottom wall of the casing, for instance by stamping and pressing, are two brackets 3 provided with bearings 5 for the reception of the journals 6 on the plate or board 7 carrying the abrasive surface, so that said plate or board will be arranged between the two brackets 3.

The carriage to be moved over the said abrasive surface comprises two walls l0 and two bridges 11 rigidly attached to said walls.

Each wall of the carriage is provided with a rail 9 slidably arranged in the corresponding guide-way 8 in the wall of the casing. Arranged in said carriage is the blade-carrier 12, comprising a U-shaped portion 13, having bearings 16 at its opposite ends, in which the blade-holder will be journaled by means of pivot-pins 14. Said blade-holder comprises two metal strips hinged together and adapted to receive a razor blade 23 between them. After a razor blade 23 has been inserted between said metal strips of the bladeholder, said metal strips will be held together by means of clamps 22, pivoted on one of said strips, whereupon the blade-holder will be placed into the carriage on projections 24 formed on the walls thereof. It will be held in place by two sliding bolts 18 bearing against the rims of openings 29 in the walls. These two sliding bolts are urged outwardly through the openings 29 by the ,action of springs 19. Each sliding bolt has an upwardly projecting handle 20 by means of which it may ce moved inwardly, whereupon the blade-holder may be raised and removed from the carriage. 'I'he blade-holder with its blade inserted therein being suspended from the blade-carrier so as to be adapted tofreely swing thereon, it will be seen that upon disengaging the latter from the carriage, the blade-holder will be disengaged at the same time. In its inoperative position the bladeholder is suspended vertically between two sets of springs 21 secured to the carriage and producing no action on the blade-holder in this position. If in order to move the razor blade over the abrasive surface the blade-holder is inclined after turning around its journals 14, it will be submitted to the action of the set of springs 2l arranged behind Said set of springs pressed on the blade-holder and consequently on the blade itself, the edge of which being thus pressed against the abrasive surface. Through this pressure the blade-holder will be caused to occupy its vertical position again, as soon as it will have been moved beyond the abrasive surface and the curved metal strips on the bottom wall or the casing.

The same will be repeated on the return movement of the carriage, except that now the opposite set of springs will act on the blade-holder.

The form of the curve of the metal strips 1 or cams on the bottom wall of the casing a is chosen in such a way that, at the moment the bladeholder with its blade inserted therein is moved away from the abrasive surface and over said metal strips or cams, the free side of said bladeholder will be somewhat raised by said strips, whereby the contact between the blade edge and abrasive surface will be interrupted just before said edge will have reached the rim of the abrasive siuface.

Furthermore during the passage of the razor blade over the brackets 3, said metal strips will hold the blade in its raised position, whereby the latter will be protected against injury by said brackets 3.

Upon the return movement of the blade-holder towards the abrasive surface, said metal strips or cams will cause the blade-holder t0 be inclined in opposite direction and moved over the brackets 3 towards said abrasive surface, and if the edge of the blade is entirely above the latter, the blade-holder will slide over a gentle slope of said metal strips whereby the edge of the blade will be gently placed upon the abrasive surface.

Small slides 27 provided with bearing openings 5 corresponding to the journals 6 of the plate or board 7 supporting the abrasive surface or surfaces may be provided in the brackets 3. These small slides enable the abrasive surface to be 1 raised, whereby the angle ,6 may be varied.

In order to remove, turn and replace in position the plate or board 7 on which the abrasive surfaces are fastened, it will be necessary to move the carriage to one of its end positions, in which 1 nothing will interfere with the manipulation of said board or plate.

Secured to the end walls of the casing a and inside the latter suitable buffers a of india rubber are secured for damping the shocks of the car- 1 riage.

If it is desired to prevent the abrasive surface from being injured by the razor blade 23 in its reciprocating movements the following protecting means may be provided in the apparatus 1 above described.

Arranged on either side of the abrasive or honing body and between the longitudinal walls of the casing a and the curved metal strips 1 is a bar 36, parallel to said walls and abrasive sur- 1 face. Said bars 36 are attached by means of pivotal connections 41 to at least two levers 37 made of equal length and attached in turn by means of pivotal connections 40 to supporting bars 38, which may be rigidly attached to a spe- 1 cial bar 39 (Fig. 15) or to any suitable part of the apparatus. If the supporting bars 38 are attached to a bar 39, the latter should be attached rigidly to the apparatus, for instance by means of screws.

All the pivotal connections 40 are located on a line parallel to the corresponding bar 36. Moreover all the pivotal connections of the arrangement are arranged in such a way that the bars 36 may be moved, at the same time remaining parallel to their own direction, exclusively in vertical planes running through said bars. Any point on the bars 36 may serve as a pivotal connection 4l and a single pivotal connection 40 corresponds to it.

The result of said arrangement of the bars 36, levers 37 and pivotal connections 40 and 41 is that the movements of the bars 36 will cause each of their pivotal points 41 to be moved through one half of a circle, the centre of which is located on the corresponding pivotal connection 40.

Two coil-springs 43 (Figs. 15, 16, 17, 18) housed within vertical tubes 'i2 have tendency to raise the corresponding bar 36 through the agency of slidl ing pins 44, engaging said .bar and slidably arranged within said tubes. VOwing to the arrangement of said springs the bars 36 will be caused to occupy `symmetrical positions with relation to the end walls of the casing a, `the levers 37 being in their vertical positions at this time. The tubes 42 are secured rigidly to the casing, either directly or through the agency of the bar 39 already mentioned, and in such a way that they will be located in the plane of movement of the respective bar 36.

At the moment the blade-holder is moved in the honing operation above the curved strips or cams 1 and when it is about to slide over the abrasive surface, the axle 14 thereof will engage the end pivotal connections 41 on the bars 36 (Fig. 16). As the relative position of said axle 14 in the carriage is invariable during the operation, said axle upon the forward movement of the carriage will push the bars 36 forwardly, whereby said bars will be lowered at the same time until the blade-holder will ride upon them.

Upon the continued movement of the carriage, as the combined power of the sets of springs 43 is less than that of the set of springs 21 acting on the blade-holder in the carriage, the razor blade will be held under pressure on the abrasive surface (Fig. 17). The strength of such pressure depends on the difference between the pressures produced by the two sets of springs 43 and 21 respectively. The power of the springs 43 results into an intimate contact between the free portion of the blade-holder and the bars 36.

Said bars 36 (or the portions of the blade-holder engaging said bars) are coated with material adapted to resist friction, such as India rubber.

Upon the continued forward movement of the carriage, the free portion of the blade-holder will be caused to slide on the bars 36 whilst the razor blade will be caused to slide on the abrasive surface.

At the end of the forward stroke of the carriage and upon disengagement of the razor blade from the abrasive surface, the blade-holder will be simultaneously disengaged from the cams 1 and bars 36 (Fig. 17), whereupon said bars 36 will be brought back to their normal positions by the action of the springs 43. In this return movement of the bars 36, the latter are caused to slide on the vertical'plungers or pins 44, and any irregular movement of the bars 36 will be avoided by-this arrangement.

If, during the time the blade-holder is still in engagement with the bars 36, the carriage is accidently moved in a false direction, the frictional resistance will prevent the blade-holder from sliding on the bars 36 in the false direction, and said bars will be moved away together with the blade-holder in the said direction, so that said bars 36 will be raised by the levers 3'? and at the same time cause the free portion of the blade-holder to be raised above the abrasive surface. Consequently the razor blade in the bladeholder will be raised above the abrasive surface and the latter cannot be injured by said blade.

Upon the continued movement of the carriage in the false direction, the bars 36 will be further raised until they reach the level of the axle 14 or any other part of the carriage or blade-holder, against which they will be firmly pressed. The frictional resistance produced by such engagement of the bars 36 will result into the stopping of the carriage (Fig. 18).

Upon moving the carriage in the right direction again, the several parts will be restored and the sharpening operation may be continued.

In order to avoid irregular movements of the honing or sharpening body 7, I provide the brackets 3 with springs 45 (Figs. 19 and 20), said springs bearing strongly against the journals 6, whereby the swinging movements of the honing body 'l will be braked.

The bearing openings or notches in the brackets 3 for the reception of the journals 6 are made of such a shape that the journals 6 will be held in position therein by their engagement with the top and bottom and one side of each opening, and with the springs 45 on the opposite side. After the removal of the springs 45, the passages for the journals 6 will be free and the honing or sharpening body 7 may be easily removed froni the apparatus. The journals 6 are moreover provided with projections or notches adapted to secure the springs 45 in their correct positions.

The provision of the protecting arrangement above described does not make a complication of the apparatus nor make uneasy the manipulation thereof.

I wish it to be understood that many changes or modifications may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts herein described and illustrated without sacrificing the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a honing and stropping apparatus for safety razor blades, the combination of an oblong box shaped frame, longitudinally spaced brackets on the bottom wall of said frame, open notches in 110 said brackets, a at honing and stropping body, journals on the narrow sides of said body adapted to be pivotally received in said notches, suitable springs mounted on said brackets and adapted to bear against said journals to brake the swinging 115 movements of the honing and stropping body, means formed on said journals and engaged by said springs, whereby the latter will be held in their operative positions, a carriage mounted on the top of the frame for reciprocation thereon, 120 and a blade-holder pivotally mounted in said carriage in such a way that the blade held therein will come into contact with the honing and stropping body as the carriage is reciprocated over said body, substantially as set forth. 125

2. In a honing and stropping apparatus for Y safety razor blades, the combination of an oblong box shaped frame, a at honing and stropping body mounted on the bottom wall of said frame and adapted to swing around a longitudinal axis, 13glongitudinal bars on either side of said honing and stropping body within the frame, levers pivotally attached to the bottom wall of the frame and pivotally connected to said bars, springs arranged to urge said bars upwardly, a carriage mounted on the top of the frame for reciprocation thereon, a blade-holder carrier removably mounted in said carriage, a blade-holder freely suspended from said carrier and adapted to bring the blade held therein into contact with the honing and stropping body and at the same time engage said longitudinal bars as the carriage is reciprocated in the frame, and springs mounted in the carriage and urging the blade-holder towards the honing and stropping body as the carriage is reciprocated, substantially as set forth.

3. In a honing and stropping apparatus for safety razor blades, the combination of an oblong box shaped frame, a flat honing and stropping body mounted on the bottom Wall of said frame 150 and adapted to swing around a longitudinal axis, longitudinal bars on either side of said honing and stropping body Within the frame, levers pivotally attached to any suitable part of the frame and pivotally connected to said bars, springs a1'- ranged to urge said bars upwardly, a carriage mounted on the top of the frame for reciprocation thereon, a blade-holder carrier removably mounted in said carriage, a blade-holder freely suspended from said Carrier and adapted to bring the blade therein into Contact With the honing and stropping body and at the same time engage Loszeee 

